Method of making locomotive-pilots and the like.



C. T. WESTLAKE.

METHOD OF MAKING LOCOMOHVE PILOTS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 17. 1913.

1,163,293, Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

Invenivq .20 1

srarns ATENT Eric. 1

CHARLES T. WESTLAKE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO COMMONWEALTH STEEL COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY;

METHOD OF MAKING LOCOMOTIVE-PILOTS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '7, 1915.

Application filed October 17, 1913. Serial No. 795,714.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLns T. WEST- LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of, St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Methods of Making Locomotive-Pilots and the like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which I Figure 1 is a plan view of a locomotive pilot cast in a single piece and in flat condit-ion before being bent or pressed to proper shape for use. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the casting seen in Fig. 1. Fig. '3 is a front elevational view of a locomotive pilot cast in a single piece and bent to proper shape for use. Fig. 1 is a plan view of a finished locomotive pilot which has been formed by my improved method. Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the finished pilot.

My invention relates to a new and useful method of making locomotive pilots and the like, the principal object of my invention being to produce by a comparatively simple and easily practised method locomotive pilots and the like, the same being formed in one piece so as to produce a structure having ample strength and rigidity combined with ease and cheapness of manufacture.

Heretofcre in the production of one piece cast metal pilots and pilot frames, great difficulty from the manufacturers standpoint has arisen in making these castings, due to their peculiar shape and the distance or length from the heel to the point of the pilot.

In order to overcome the difficulties heretofore existing in the manufacture of one piece cast metal pilots, I propose to first cast a flat grid or skeleton frame which includes the pilot side members, the bottom rail or plate, the top rail or plate, and the pilot bars between the top and bottom rails. This flat grid or skeleton frame is a very simple casting to make, and being flat, it can be readily placed in a suitable press or bulldozerv and bentto produce the finished proper conformation.

In producing a locomotive pilot by my improved method, I first cast in a single piece pilot of the fiat grid or skeleton frame which comprises the side rails 10, the top rail 11, the central portion 12 of which is depressed so as to accommodate the draw bar, the bottom rail 13, and the pilot bars 14:, which latter are substantially parallel with the side bars 10 and extend between the top and bottom rails 11 and 13.

In order that the pilot may have the proper shape when finished it is necessary to form the casting so that the side rails 10 are slightly inclined with respect to a vertical line and the bilateral portions of the rails 11 and 13 being inclined in opposite directions, and with respect to a horizontal plane. The flat grid or skeleton casting thus formed is placed between suitable dies,

in a powerful press or bulldozer and bent to proper shape. Thus a finished locomotive pilot is produced wherein the side bars 10 occupy vertical positions parallel with each other, and the top rail 11 occupies a straight horizontal plane. The central portion of the bottom rail 13 occupies a point a substantial distance in front of the vertical plane The hereindescribed method of making locomotive pilots and the like, consisting in first casting a substantially fiat grid or skeleton frame the bilateral portions of which are inclined in opposite directions, and then applying pressure to said grid or skeleton frame to cause the same to assume the desired finished conformation.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the resence of two witnesses, this 7th day of ctober, 1913.

' CHARLES T. VVESTLAKE.

Witnesses:

HAL C. BELLVILLE, FRED H. BLANKENI-IORN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

